Holddown Tape adhesive sticking to cutter

[Retiree]

Using XFasten tape, and works well.
When I make a profile through cut, however, (final depth set at board thickness), since the board is not perfectly flat, in some areas which are a bit higher, the cutter goes into the tape and the adhesive sticks to the cutter and gums up on it. Can remove the adhesive with heat, finger scraping and IsoPropyl Alc, however, on a long cut there can be significant buildup which then generates heat, interferes with cutter edges and distorts the cutter shape. Any solutions other than not cutting quite as deep? Thanks.

[_Michael]

If you have surfaced your spoil board you can reference the spoil board instead of the top the wood and get a cut that just barely cuts through the wood. That might help. I’m linking a post of mine that has a video on how to do it.

To sum it up you either set Z0 to the spoil board in your CAD/CAM and machine or keep Z0 at the material surface in CAD/CAM and set the Z with the paper method on the spoil board but instead of hitting the zero Z button you click on the Z number and enter -material thickness. So if your wood is 3/4" and you set the height of the spoil board to -0.75" then zero is at the top of the wood. This cuts out the error from uneven wood and because you surfaced the spoil board you can get accurate through cuts.

_Michael's Dovetail Guide

The spoil board grid was done with my laser. It is centered on the spoil board. If you have the sensors and can home your machine, I suggest writing down the machine coordinates of the center position as well as saving them to a workspace or making a macro in gSender. That way you can always get your machine centered quickly. Here is my spoil board graphic, in crv and svg format. Vectric Desktop let me create a project bigger than 24"x24". I’m assuming it just won’t create the G-Code for such a…

It works well enough that I can keep the laser job on my spoil board for a long time.

[Spamming_Eddie]

Hey Retiree

Leave an egg shell (0.75mm) with yer cutout toolpath , turn your stock around and surface off a mm.

[Retiree]

Many thanks for the great suggestions. Will no doubt use them on next project.

[_Michael]

@Retiree I think you might do well if you combine my suggestion with @Spamming_Eddie’s. You can set the Z with the method I suggested and leave it a touch high to leave the egg shell.

Good luck!

[Retiree]

Makes sense. Other approach is to use hold downs rather than tape if have a through cut planned. I was not able to on this job due to material size, but next time? Things to consider for sure. Thanks

[NeilFerreri]

Super glue and painter’s tape won’t leave a residue on the endmill.